Judge Orders Return of Deported Migrant Families Separated Under Trump Administration

A decision by U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw mandates the U.S. government to bring back three migrant families who were separated during the Trump administration’s initial term and subsequently deported during the second term. The judge declared these deportations as ‘unlawful.’

Appointed by former President George W. Bush, Judge Sabraw ruled that these deportations violated a legal settlement designed to offer certain benefits to those affected by the contentious family separation policy executed during President Trump’s first term. This policy, which drew widespread criticism and legal challenges, involved separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border and was discontinued in 2018.

In 2023, the Biden administration entered into a court settlement, committing to provide certain benefits to families impacted by the previous administration’s separation policy and to ensure such practices would be curtailed in the future. Judge Sabraw emphasized that the deportations disregarded the settlement’s spirit, which revolves around the reunification of families in the United States.

“Though the Settlement Agreement does not forbid the enforcement of U.S. laws, these deportations clearly violated the agreement’s intent, which was to support the reunification of separated families,” Judge Sabraw noted.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), represented by attorney Lee Gelernt, applauded the judge’s order. Gelernt criticized the Trump administration for its repeated deportation attempts, emphasizing the need for the court’s intervention to rectify these actions.

Among the families involved, one mother testified that she faced persistent pressure from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to self-deport. The pressure included threats of her children being sent to “foster care or adoption,” a claim detailed in a declaration she submitted. Judge Sabraw’s ruling highlighted this case and noted the family’s involuntary deportation, even though they were granted temporary permission to remain in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security, represented by spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, stated the administration’s disagreement with the judge’s ruling, arguing it infringes upon presidential deportation authority and reiterating that the individuals in question resided in the U.S. illegally. McLaughlin asserted that the DHS remains committed to enforcing U.S. law while addressing the matter with the court.